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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26661394">Key to My Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightstorm/pseuds/Nightstorm'>Nightstorm</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who &amp; Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Everybody needs a Donna in their life, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, I swear I tried to make this pure fluff but the Doctor insisted on some angst too, Immortals, It's the Doctor what do you expect, Kissing, Pining, except they are not quite human, it's complicated - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:28:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26661394</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightstorm/pseuds/Nightstorm</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor, the last Child of Time, has been alone for so long. Few Immortals are left in this world, and even fewer that he likes, and humans wither and die so quickly. He keeps telling himself that he has no business getting involved in the life of one amazing Rose Tyler, but how can he resist when she draws him in like a moth to the flame? But then she announces her plan to marry the person who can catch her cat and open her front door with the key attached to its collar, and suddenly the Doctor has a decision to make.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Key to My Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He’d been admiring her from afar for ages. The way she walked down the street with such confidence in every step, the way she smiled at people as if she genuinely enjoyed seeing them, the way she brightened up everyone’s day simply by being there. In all his years he’d never met another soul like hers and he ached for the solace and peace she gave his tired heart whenever they talked. She made him feel young again, made him forget all the horrors he had seen and done in his long life, even if it was just for a little while.</p>
<p>Rose. Such a beautiful name for a beautiful young woman. He loved saying her name, loved the way her eyes sparkled in response when she came to him for new tinctures for her little apothecary. She’d been doing so ever since she moved to the village and learnt he was a doctor. He’d never told her he wasn’t actually a medical doctor. Instead he’d used his big brain, some dusty old knowledge from oh-so-long ago, and a friend’s help to teach himself how to concoct a few basic remedies and then experimented from there.  It had worked well enough that it soon became a sort of routine for her to come visit him in his little house on the outskirts of the village at least once a week to chat with him and ask if he’d developed any new medicines. He cherished their time together and wished she never had to leave his home again. It felt so <em>right</em> to have her there. She made everything seem brighter, made him feel more <em>alive</em> than he had felt in centuries.</p>
<p>But when she announced that she would marry the person who managed to open her front door with the key she had attached to her cat’s collar, he did not join the hunt. How could he? He loved her, but she deserved better than him. She deserved someone whole and bright and clever and young like her, not someone as old and broken as him. Though he did match the clever part, genius that he was. <em>That’s not the point</em>, he chastised himself while he watched yet another suitor shuffle home in defeat, a long gash on his cheek and a smug looking golden cat licking its paw on the wall behind him. Rose’s cat. The cat every young man and some of the older ones too tried to catch. The Doctor thought he’d even seen a woman or two make an attempt. Did Rose like women? Well, he wasn’t one to judge, was he. He’d kissed the odd guy in his life, for one reason or the other. Like Jack, on one particularly lonely night. Still, the thought hurt. He wanted Rose to like <em>him</em>.</p>
<p>Sharp pain in his left hand reminded him that she was not his and never would be. Slowly he unclenched his hand, desperately trying to think about anything else and failing miserably. He wanted her to be his. He wanted to be hers, forever. But forever for him was so much longer than forever for her. He was one of the few immortals left in this world. She was human. An extraordinary, gold and pink human burning so very bright, but in the end she was nothing but a candle to be blown out by the wind of Time. Maybe she could spend the rest of her life with him, but he could never spend the rest of his with her.</p>
<p>Fighting the overwhelming urge to run, run as far away as he could, he clutched the package in his right hand even tighter and then made his way out of the alley he’d watched the spectacle from. <em>Watched</em>, he told himself, <em>not stalked. I only wanted to know if Mickey the Idiot would finally catch the cat</em>. Well, true enough. It had been amusing – Mickey was one of the more persistent would-like-to-be-husbands and today he’d tried a mousetrap with a life mouse to lure the cat. The Doctor supposed that would make it a cattrap – crap? The idea had ended in screaming. It had not been the cat’s. Crap indeed.</p>
<p>Said cat watched the Doctor with intelligent, hazel eyes when he passed it on his way to Rose’s front door, but it didn’t run. The Doctor couldn’t help but smile at the cat. A she-cat, with eyes the same colour as Rose’s and beautiful golden fur that glinted in the sun like actual gold. A cat that was just as clever and cunning as her owner. He couldn’t help but like it, even though he usually denied being a cat person.</p>
<p>“You’re not letting those idiots catch you, are you? Nah, you’re much too fast for them. A right athlete, I’d say.” He snickered, remembering the way Mickey had faceplanted right into his cattrap when his target had jumped onto his head. The Doctor would have winced in sympathy if he hadn’t been so relieved- <em>I have no right to be relieved. </em></p>
<p>“So, um, please don’t scratch me, I’m just here to bring your mistress the antidotes she wanted. I’m just… gonna put them here… somewhere.” He looked around and didn’t see anywhere he could put his package where it would be safe and protected until Rose returned. She’d said she’d be out of town for a few days to visit a friend and he didn’t know when she’d come back. He looked at the cat again. “I don’t suppose you’d lend me that key so I can put this away real quick?” The cat blinked and didn’t move, but it did look amused, if a cat could look amused. “No, I didn’t think so,” he muttered.</p>
<p>Well, he could just take it back to his place and give it to Rose once she returned. If he was honest with himself, he’d only wanted to watch the cat deflect and escape her hopeful hunters anyway and had used the delivery as an excuse. He’d been doing that a lot lately. He was also now talking to cats, apparently. He shook his head at the silliness of it all and sighed. “I’m a lovesick moron, aren’t I?”</p>
<p>He didn’t expect the cat to jump off her wall and then brush past his knees, her fleeting warmth more comforting than he could have ever imagined. When he turned to look at her in astonishment she was already gone and nowhere to be seen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It had been three days since his futile attempt to… He didn’t even know what he’d wanted to do. But he missed Rose terribly and it scared the hell out of him. The thought that one day she wouldn’t just be gone for a few days but forever… No, he couldn’t deal with that. He just… he couldn’t. He’d lost too many loved ones to Time and Death. He couldn’t imagine losing another. He couldn’t love Rose, not if he wanted to keep his sanity. Because if he loved her, and if she loved him, it would shatter him to lose her. Already the ache of missing her sat deep in his bones and made him restless.</p>
<p>He tinkered where he could. Repaired pipes in his house and fixed the leaking roof (dull but long overdue), worked on gadgets that did way too many things and were nevertheless useless (he’d have to replace the neighbour’s chicken, old Mrs Noble had <em>not</em> been pleased), brewed a new tincture (almost lost his hair in the process, definitely lost his suit, thank god not her favourite one)… But it wasn’t enough. His thoughts never ceased to whirl, his brain never stopped bloody <em>thinking</em>, his traitorous heart just wouldn’t stop <em>wanting </em>and <em>longing</em> and he was going insane. Dreams plagued his sleep. Dreams of him and Rose together, living a happy life, having a family – <em>oh how he craved having a family again </em>– and just being happy together. Better with two, no? But there were also the nightmares. Dreams where he lost Rose to sickness or old age, or dreams where he told her he loved her and she laughed at him and then chose someone else. Maybe Mickey the Idiot. Maybe even Adam, the even greater idiot. But worst were the dreams where they were together, but he wasn’t enough or maybe too much. In those dreams all he could see was Rose running from him, running and he couldn’t follow because he always knew he didn’t deserve her anyway.</p>
<p>It hurt. It hurt so much.</p>
<p>And yet. A small part of him never stopped whispering <em>what if? </em>What if she <em>did </em>want him? What if she <em>could</em> love him? What if she <em>would</em> stay with him for as long as she could? Wouldn’t it be worth the heartbreak to have her in his life for a few, fleeting years? He could cherish the memories, use them to keep him warm during the cold that would follow her death. What if…?</p>
<p>What if.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It wasn’t a conscious decision. He’d been walking through the village, desperately looking for a distraction, wondering if maybe it was time to visit his old friend Jack again, one of the very few other Immortals he knew and the only one he actually liked. Astonishing, really, considering Jack was a child of Death whereas he was a child of Time. Those two usually didn’t mingle well. It was kind of Time’s fault; Time hated to be dragged into the constant battle between Life and Death. Time preferred its neutral state, favouring none and simply being <em>there</em>.</p>
<p>The Doctor had never been good at staying neutral.</p>
<p>He supposed that was the problem here, too. He hadn’t even noticed how his feet had carried him to Rose’s house, its presence an irresistible pull. Like his, her house was more on the outskirt of town and quite old but well kept. Her little garden was more akin to a jungle, though. Not because she didn’t know how to keep it neat, he thought, because she had a very nice herb garden; no, she once told him it reminded her of secrets and fairy tales, of adventures and hidden places just waiting to be explored. She liked it a little wild.</p>
<p>Briefly he wondered what else she liked a little wild.</p>
<p>Shaking his head to very, very quickly get rid of <em>that</em> thought again, he almost missed the golden cat jump out of a window that apparently wasn’t properly closed. He guessed Rose had left it partially open so her cat had a way back inside, but he worried – what if someone else noticed and entered her house that way? They could steal something or… or tell her they opened the front door with the key! No, the key would still be attached to the cat, right? Rose would know.</p>
<p>He resolved to keep watch anyway. Just to be sure.</p>
<p>That’s what friends did, right?</p>
<p>Right.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rose had been gone for a <em>week </em>now and he started to worry. Did something happen to her? Did she have an accident? Did she decide she enjoyed life in the city much more after all and wouldn’t come back?</p>
<p>“Oi! Earth to Spaceman! You listening?”</p>
<p>“Ah, what?” He blinked, surprised by the sudden loud noise in his ear. He hadn’t. Listened, that was. He’d tuned his neighbour and good friend Donna out soon after she started complaining about her mother (as usual), the chicken he still owed them (yes, yes, of course he’d replace it, what did she think of him?) and the noticeable lack of interesting, suitable, single males in their tiny village (“Thanks, Donna.” “Oh don’t even pretend you’re sulking, Doctor.”)</p>
<p>Now she gave him a knowing look he did not like at all. <em>At. All. </em>She always saw way too much and he usually liked that about her, but not today. Not when he knew exactly what she would see. “This is about Rose, isn’t it?” Yep.</p>
<p>“No,” he said anyway, hoping to cut her off and escape this conversation as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>He should have known better. “You know, I don’t understand why you don’t just catch that cat and end your misery. Rose would marry you, you know? She’s over the moon for you.”</p>
<p>He almost dropped the cup of tea in his hand. He definitely choked on the sip he’d just taken and was now making a valiant attempt at dying right in front of his best friend who looked at him in that annoyed way only Donna could give him, as if his death would be the most inconvenient thing for <em>her. </em></p>
<p>“She is?” he managed to croak out after his coughing spell finally subsided enough that he could speak again. Just as a precaution he set down his cup anyway. He didn’t need Donna’s mother to rip off his head just because he got tea on her precious cream armchair. Who even had cream armchairs? He was glad she wasn’t home right now. He would never understand how Donna and good old Wilf could live with her. He’d rather live alone, thanks.</p>
<p>Though he didn’t <em>want</em> to live alone, did he?</p>
<p>No, that was dangerous territory. He could not go there, absolutely not.</p>
<p>But oh, he wanted to. And wasn’t that a very dangerous thought.</p>
<p>Donna rolled her eyes at his obvious distraction, <em>again.</em> “Yes, you dumbo! Personally I don’t know what she sees in you, I get cuts just looking at your skinny arse– “ “Oi!” “–but she looks at you like you hung the stars just for her. Makes me nauseous just watching you dance around each other.”</p>
<p>“We’re… we’re not…”</p>
<p>“You so bloody are.”</p>
<p>All the Doctor could do after that was to stay silent. There wasn’t anything he could say, was there? He knew he loved her. Sometimes he thought she loved him back. But… he couldn’t, right? It wouldn’t be fair to either of them. But fair or not, he wanted it to be real so, so desperately he thought he couldn’t breathe anymore.</p>
<p>He looked at his friend helplessly, for once in his lifetime at a loss. “Donna, what am I supposed to do?”</p>
<p>She didn’t answer straight away but instead sipped her tea, her contemplative gaze fixed on him. Even with the low table between their armchairs, it felt like her eyes were boring straight into his soul, looking for an answer. He tried his hardest not to fidget too much. Finally, she sat the cup down and leaned back, her eyes still not leaving his. “Catch the cat.”</p>
<p>He sighed. “I can’t.”</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>“Because… Because it would all be <em>wrong</em>, wouldn’t it? I want Rose to marry <em>me</em>, because she loves me and not because I managed to catch a bloody cat!” He barely noticed his slip and honestly, he was so beyond the point of caring. He was so sick of lying to himself and he couldn’t lie to Donna anyway. She’d just call bullshit and force him to tell the truth whether he wanted or not.</p>
<p>Donna just sighed and said, in a much gentler tone, “She does love you, don’t you see? I bet this whole thing is all just a plot to get you <em>finally </em>off your arse and moving!”</p>
<p>The Doctor sniffed. “Well, if it is, it’s bloody rubbish, don’t you think? Anyone could catch her cat and then where would she be then? She could have just said something!”</p>
<p>“True.” Donna shrugged. “But maybe she wasn’t sure either. You’re quite a master at giving mixed signals, you know. Maybe she was just tired of waiting. Maybe she wants to test you, see what you’ll do.”</p>
<p>“Maybe she just wants a husband and would settle for anyone dedicated enough.” He regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth and he was pretty sure if looks could kill, he’d be a pile of dust under Donna’s withering glare.</p>
<p>Thankfully, she saw his regret and let it go and instead tapped the rim of her cup with a fingernail while thinking. “How about you take the key but don’t unlock the door until Rose comes back? That way you have the proof that you <em>did</em> catch it, but you didn’t technically fulfil her requirement and she wouldn’t be forced to marry you. She’d be free to choose, right?”</p>
<p>The Doctor could just stare at his friend. “Donna Noble, you are a bloody genius, does anyone ever tell you that?”</p>
<p>“Not ever enough.” Her grin was wide, but her eyes were sad.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The question was, how did you catch a cat that absolutely did not want to be caught? He could build a trap. He was a genius, after all. Could create all kinds of things, he. But his inventions tended to be unpredictable at best and downright explosive at worst and the last thing he wanted was to accidentally hurt Rose’s pet.</p>
<p>So, no inventions or clever traps. It was a cat, so he couldn’t charm it with words but maybe… Who fed her, anyway? She probably hunted but maybe she would appreciate some homemade food? Now if only he knew what Rose usually fed her…</p>
<p>He decided he’d just have to experiment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The first day he’d simply asked the butcher for some leftovers. The man had barely blinked; it wasn’t the weirdest request the Doctor had had in his time here (just ask him about the one with the brains, that had been fun), so the butcher had just handed over some pieces of meat he couldn’t sell and some old sausages. Should he do whatever he liked with it, wasn’t his business, was it.</p>
<p>After that, the Doctor had made his way to Rose’s house. The sun had barely begun to rise at this point, so he didn’t meet many people on the street. He was grateful for that; he didn’t feel up to pointless small talk, so he just nodded a greeting at everyone and strode past anyone who tried saying more that “good morning”. </p>
<p>Arriving at her house, he had a look around but didn’t see anyone, the cat included. Even a walk around the house revealed nothing, so he made himself comfortable in the grass and waited.</p>
<p>The cat didn’t show herself.</p>
<p>There had been a couple of visitors – well, he said visitors but really, “annoyances” was much more fitting. After over a week of trying and failing, most men had given up on their pursuit. For some it had never been more than a game, some had been dared into it, others had lusted after beautiful, unattainable Rose but decided there were easier girls after all. It filled him with a weird sort of satisfaction that they had failed so miserably and yet he was angry too that they didn’t think Rose worth the trouble.</p>
<p>Well, now that he knew what he wanted, he definitely wouldn’t give up, and if he had to sit here for days on end.</p>
<p>When he finally went home in the evening after hours of futile waiting, he left the meat in front of the window, hoping she’d find them.</p>
<p>He never noticed the eyes that had been watching him all day long, hidden by the bright green leaves of Rose’s front yard jungle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The second day was miserable, to say the least. It was raining cats and dogs, except of course the cat he wanted. She didn’t show herself and really, the Doctor couldn’t blame her. He just hoped she was safe.</p>
<p>By the time he went home he was drenched and shivering from the cold, his umbrella kaput. Turns out those things and strong winds don’t mesh well. Who’d have thought.</p>
<p>At least yesterday’s meat was gone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The third day he brought half of a grilled chicken (the other half had been his lunch) and put it on a plate in front of him. Then he waited, leaning against a tree.</p>
<p>Today at least was sunny again, though the ground was still moist. Luckily, he’d brought a blanket, and a book to keep him busy. It really was a nice day; he liked the smell of earth after rain and the sun was pleasantly warm, only occasionally cooled by a gust of wind. Birds sang and the Doctor watched a robin dipping in and out of a bush, looking for food or building a nest? He didn’t know and didn’t want to move to find out. It was peaceful here.</p>
<p>“Doctor! Here again?”</p>
<p>Most of the time.</p>
<p>“Obviously,” he replied, not quite hiding his eyeroll. Leave it to Mickey to ask a question like that. Mickey of course ignored it and casually leaned on the wall, looking down at the Doctor.</p>
<p>“Trying to catch that cat? Let me tell you, a real beast it is. Didn’t think you’d join in, <em>Doctor</em>.”</p>
<p>He was fighting really hard not to snap at the other man. “And why wouldn’t I, <em>Ricky?”</em></p>
<p>“It’s Mickey! Mi-ckey!”</p>
<p>“I’ll try to remember that, Ricky.”</p>
<p>Mickey huffed but gave up for now. It was an old game, one he was long used to but that annoyed him no less. The Doctor of course knew that and used it shamelessly to rile the other man up. Seeing the exasperation and annoyance on his face was just too priceless, even if Rose chided him for it from time to time. Apparently, she liked Mickey.</p>
<p>If anything, that only spurred the Doctor on.</p>
<p>Now the man in question sighed. “Look, man. I’m just here to wish you good luck, alright? She’s yours.”</p>
<p>The Doctor blinked. “What?”</p>
<p>“I give up. Got enough scars out of it and I’m out of ideas. Traps don’t work and that beast is way too quick to hunt down. I’m sick of trying. Besides, Rose never looked at me the same way she looks at you. Thought I could finally best you when she announced this game and you didn’t even compete. Thought I had a chance. I was wrong.”</p>
<p>“… What?” This was getting old, but for the long life of him, he couldn’t wrap his big brain around Mickey’s surrender.</p>
<p>“See you around, Doc. Good luck. Oh, and watch your chicken.” And with that, Mickey left and was gone in seconds, leaving a speechless and bewildered Doctor behind.</p>
<p>“<em>What?”</em></p>
<p>Then he heard the crunching behind him and Mickey’s last words finally registered. The Doctor’s head swivelled around and looked at the chicken – which was gone. A few feet away a golden cat was crouching over her prey, chewing on the meat and throwing smug glances at him now and then.</p>
<p>The Doctor laughed at the surreality of it all and shook his head.</p>
<p>Well, wasn’t that something. <em>Looks like there’s only me now</em>, he thought and for once that wasn’t a sad thought.</p>
<p>“Just you and me now, kitty,” he said and he could have sworn he heard her purr.</p>
<p>Must have been his imagination, or maybe she enjoyed the chicken.</p>
<p>Probably the chicken.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Day four didn’t go anywhere near as well as the day before. He got hasty, that was his only excuse. He felt time ticking by and worried what would happen if Rose returned before he’d reached his goal. So, he’d brought a chicken again, but he didn’t put it on a plate like before. No, he laid out mouth sized pieces leading to him with a string attached to the last piece. He hoped he could lure the cat closer, make her chase the meat until she was close enough to catch. Cats were natural hunters after all, right?</p>
<p>Well, this one disagreed.</p>
<p>He should have figured, really. If she were that easy to outwit, someone would have done it by now. Of course she spotted the string, and of course she didn’t fall for it. No, she merely sat there and watched the bouncing piece of meat, her tail swishing slightly and her ears flat on her head. And then she raised her head and looked the Doctor in the eye, and his heart fell.</p>
<p>He’d never seen a cat look so disappointed and… hurt.</p>
<p>She turned around and left, leaving him sitting in the grass, feeling guiltier than he had felt in a long time. It almost felt like he had betrayed the cat’s tentative trust by trying to trick it – and hadn’t he?</p>
<p>He was beginning to feel like this cat was way too human to be treated as anything but.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She didn’t show herself on day five. He knew she was watching him; he’d seen glimpses of her fur throughout the day, noticed the birds go quiet when she slunk by through the undergrowth. But she didn’t come out, and she didn’t take the food he offered her a good distance away from him.</p>
<p>He wasn’t surprised but the disappointment was still like a dart to his heart. He’d messed up. Badly, by the looks of it. No, this cat was anything but normal, and now the sun was setting and he felt like if he didn’t set things right now, he wouldn’t have another chance. He couldn’t let that happen.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he said, regret heavy in his voice. “I didn’t mean to…” No. No lies. “I didn’t think. I just… I feel like time is running away from me, you know? I feel it slipping through my fingers like water and when I try to grip tighter it just flows faster and faster, away from me. Always away from me.” He sighed and rubbed his face, feeling incredibly tired all of a sudden. That’s what it came down to, wasn’t it? Time ticking by and everyone moving on, but without him. “I don’t want to be all <em>alone</em> anymore, but no matter how hard I try, everyone always leaves. Everyone is always taken away from me, and I am left behind.” A harsh laugh escaped his throat. “A Child of Time! Ha! Prisoner of Time is more like it,” he said bitterly.</p>
<p>He fell silent after that, one hand mussing through his hair, messing it up even further. He didn’t know what to do. Should he give up? Keep trying? Wait until Rose returned and then just confess to her and hope she accepted him even without the key to her home? Or just leave and try (and fail) to forget her like he tried (and failed) to forget everyone who mattered to him because it hurt too damn much to remember?</p>
<p>When he looked up, he was staring right into the hazel eyes of a beautiful, golden cat, sitting just over an arm’s length away from him. Everything in him stilled. She was here, listening to him, and he couldn’t help but feel like those deep eyes held the wisdom of eons, held so much kindness and compassion like no cat’s ever should.</p>
<p>They looked like Rose’s.</p>
<p>His breath caught. Could it be…? No, that was impossible. Was it? He had heard legends, tales, <em>myths</em>, but he’d never believed. But then again, he could feel Time shifting around people and he knew Jack as a Child of Death, somewhat ironically, couldn’t die until Death itself called him home. So why not? Hope was a sudden burst in his chest, making it hard to breathe but this time for all the right reasons.</p>
<p>But he had to be sure. He had to know. He had to tell her.</p>
<p>“I love her,” he said softly, his eyes never leaving the cat’s, hoping desperately he wasn’t wrong. “I want her by my side, whatever life may throw at us. I want us to be together, always. The stuff of legends. Rose Tyler and the Doctor.” Everything around him seemed to go quiet as he waited with bated breath for the cat’s reaction, only vaguely aware of his surroundings. It felt like Time was stretching endlessly, like seconds turned to minutes turned to hours. Even the birds had gone quiet and the wind still. It was as if the world was holding its breath along with him, as if everything was waiting for that crucial moment when the timelines would settle on an outcome and decide the fate of two people.</p>
<p>Then golden light swirled around the cat, so bright the Doctor had to close his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again it was to Rose sitting in front of him, her cheeky tongue between teeth smile making his heart stutter. But it was the love in her eyes that made it soar, and the simple fact that he had been right, that she was sitting in front of him now, that made him want to sing in joy.</p>
<p>“And I love you, my Doctor,” she whispered and raised her hand to his cheek. He couldn’t help but lean into her hand, the soft touch feeling more right and better than anything before. Of course they’d touched – they’d held hands and cuddled and touched each other with whichever excuse they could find. But this was different. This was like the sun finally breaking though the layers of fog it had to fight all morning, to shine all the brighter now that it was finally unobstructed.</p>
<p>And she smiled and that sun shone just for him, basking him in a light he hadn’t thought he’d ever feel again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was Rose who finally stretched from their cuddled position beneath the tree and got up, offering her hand to the Doctor. He took it and let her help him up, a little surprised by her strength, though he supposed he shouldn’t be. Rose wasn’t human, after all.</p>
<p>It was also her who led him into her house. His heart skipped a beat by all the possible implications of <em>that</em> action, but she merely pointed at an old, worn out sofa in her small living room then went into the kitchen to set up tea while the Doctor had a look around. He’d never been in Rose’s home before and he had to say, he quite liked it, though it felt a little stuffed. It wasn’t exactly messy just… full. Books lay on every available surface and herbs hung from the ceiling to dry, requiring him to duck to get to the sofa. Their smell permeated everything, but he thought he also smelled a faint trace of paint. Where from though, he couldn’t pinpoint. Probably from upstairs, he thought as he sat down and immediately sank into the old but comfy sofa. Everything in here seemed to be old and a little worn, but homely nevertheless.</p>
<p>Hearing Rose enter, he looked up from the book he’d been eyeing – astronomy, he hadn’t known she liked the stars too – and gratefully accepted the cup she gave him. He blew on the hot beverage while she sat down, her own cup in her hands. For a while their sipping was all that could be heard, the both of them enveloped in a comfortable silence, but then Rose set her tea down and took a deep breath, only to let it out slowly again. “We should talk.”</p>
<p>“Yes,” the Doctor agreed, though he wasn’t sure where he should start. The cat thing, probably. “So, um, you can shift into a cat? Are you…?”</p>
<p>“I’m a Child of Life, yes,” confirmed Rose his mostly unvoiced question. “Like you’re a Child of Time?”</p>
<p>It sounded more like question than a statement, so he answered. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>She let out a relieved breath. “Good.”</p>
<p>“Good?” He raised an eyebrow. “We’re not supposed to mingle, yet here we are, drinking tea and… Well. Um. More?”</p>
<p>She laughed. “Definitely more. And… “ She chewed on her bottom lip and the Doctor couldn’t help but stare. Oh, he wanted to kiss those lips. It was a giant’s effort to avert his gaze back to her eyes. The slight blush on her cheeks told him she’d noticed anyways, but she looked so adorable he couldn’t bring himself to be embarrassed.</p>
<p>“And?” he prompted, trying to distract himself from other, much less innocent thoughts.</p>
<p>Her blush deepened and she stared at her tea, avoiding his eyes. “Do you care?” she asked softly, almost too quiet to be heard.</p>
<p>He heard her anyway. “No,” he said decisively. “Time took so much from me. Everything I ever cared about, everyone I ever loved. All the things I did in the name of Time… And now it’s only me. All the others are gone, lost. It’s about time that Time gave something back.” Then he shrugged. “Besides, my oldest friend is a Child of Death and no one has ever cared. Let them frown. There is nothing anyone can do to me.” He looked at Rose. “What about you? Do you care?”</p>
<p>“No,” she said just as decisively, leaving no room for arguments, but then she hesitated before she continued more quietly. “There are some who would, though. My mother will give you a hard time, but as long as I’m happy, she’ll side with us. She’s only human though. There are other Children of Life who want me married to one of our own. There are so few of us left…” She trailed off, staring into space until the Doctor pulled her back into the present.</p>
<p>“But do you care what they say?” he demanded to know.</p>
<p>A hard look entered Rose’s eyes. “No.”</p>
<p>“Then let them talk and protest. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, together.”</p>
<p>A small smile played around Rose’s lips. “Yeah. We can do that.”</p>
<p>There was a moment of silence where each was lost in their own thoughts, thinking about what that would mean for their futures. They could have a life together, something he hadn’t dared to hope. Human’s had such short lifespans, but Children of the three great entities Life, Death and Time? They could live practically forever, in theory. He could share forever with Rose. If she wanted.</p>
<p>But wait.</p>
<p>“You said your mother is human?” he asked, frowning. Was that even possible? Well, he supposed so, their biology wasn’t all that different, it was just unusual – unheard of, really. But then again he’d also thought it a myth that Children of Life could take the form of whatever they wished, as long as it was alive. It made sense though, he supposed. Life was creation, and creation could create itself, right? Sort of. He’d rather not think more about it for now.</p>
<p>He was more interested in Rose’s answer anyway. A sad look had entered her eyes and she fiddled with her almost empty cup, running a finger around its rim. “Yes, she’s human,” she confirmed and glanced at him from under her dark lashes. “My father was a Child of Life but… he died, when I was small. There was nothing we could do. He was already dead when I… when he was found. We can heal, bring people back from the threshold of Death when we arrive in time, but we can’t bring back the dead.”</p>
<p>He wanted to know more, wanted to know everything. Had it been her who found him? What had killed him? Was she alright? Was her heritage the reason why she still barely registered to his special senses, even when he knew what to look for now? But if she wanted to tell him she would, someday, so instead he focused on her other parent. “Your mother is still alive though?” Another thought entered his mind and he had to ask, rude or not. “How old are you?”</p>
<p>Rose snorted. “We being rude again?” she teased.</p>
<p>He just winked cheekily, glad her mood had lightened a little. “Gotta know if I’ll be accused of child molesting, no?”</p>
<p>“Oi, I’m not that young!” she protested and sniffed. “I’m almost seventy, plenty old enough to make my own decision.” Then she sobered. “Mom’s ninety. I visit her as often as possible to prolong her life but it’s getting difficult. She’s getting old and dear God, please don’t ever tell her I said that.” She laughed, but it sounded weak and dangerously close to tears.</p>
<p>What was he supposed to do but shift until he could put his arm around her, drawing her close until her head was nestled beneath his chin and he could give her comfort the only way he knew how to when no words came to mind? So he just silently stroked her arm and her side, helplessly listening to her sniffles until they finally died down. They stayed like that for a long time, just enjoying each other’s company, but there were still a couple of questions the Doctor needed answers to. He gulped, tightening his grip on her arm for a moment before consciously making himself let go again, then asked the most pressing one.</p>
<p>“Your lifespan… How long are you going to stay with me?”</p>
<p>“Forever,” she answered.</p>
<p>He couldn’t help looking at her inquiringly, searching for the lie in her answer and even peeked at her timelines, but they stayed hidden from him and there was only honesty in the eyes looking up at him with a serious expression in them. Gold flecks seemed to dance in their depths and it took his breath away. So beautiful. She was so beautiful. He couldn’t believe she was his, it felt so unreal, but he wouldn’t start this relationship with doubts in his heart.</p>
<p>He’d believe her. He’d always believe in her.</p>
<p>“Good,” he said, deciding that everything else could wait. What couldn’t wait were those gorgeous lips of hers, just begging to be kissed. So he kissed them.</p>
<p>They were everything he’d imagined them to be and more. Soft and sensual, they felt so <em>right</em> against his lips that he could barely supress a tiny moan. It escaped him anyway when her tongue flicked against his lips and he eagerly opened his mouth. What started as a rather chaste kiss was soon anything but, and the Doctor’s hand spread possessively over Rose’s side and the small of her back, pulling her closer, almost into his lap. Her hands clutched onto him, one hand at his collar, the other raking through his hair, making him groan from the pleasure of it.</p>
<p>His thoughts had turned hazy, but he remembered there was one more question he had to ask before he lost his train of thought completely. It almost hurt physically to ease out of the kiss, especially when Rose chased his lips and whined in protest and looked at him with such hooded eyes, love and desire mingled in them and making his knees weak (good thing they were sitting, really), but he had to ask first.</p>
<p>“Marry me?” he panted, looking at her. Lord she looked delicious, all flushed and just as out of breath as he was. He couldn’t resist. He dipped his head and kissed her neck with slow, sensual licks and sucking, drawing a surprised, high-pitched moan from her and feeling her grip on him tighten even further while she angled her head to give him more room. He smirked against her neck, letting her feel his teeth in a tiny bite for just a second before returning to kissing his way up her neck toward her jaw and then her earlobe. A shiver of pleasure ran through her entire body when he blew slightly on a wet patch of skin and her breath caught. All the tension in her body released in an even greater shudder when his hand dipped beneath her shirt and stroked her bare skin while his other hand trailed lightly over her leg. Languidly like a cat she stretched across his lap, her eyes closed in bliss, obviously enjoying his caress and also forgetting his question.</p>
<p>That, he couldn’t allow. So he tugged at her earlobe to gain her attention and then whispered in her ear in as low and seductive a voice as he could manage. “Didn’t manage to steal the key to your home, but would you share mine with me?”</p>
<p>Rose laughed softly, affectionately returning his caresses while staying as close as she could.</p>
<p>“Yes, my Doctor. You stole the key to my heart a long time ago anyway.”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This short story was inspired by this tumblr post: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/8d/0a/c6/8d0ac6fd74cf7e788438d5ca1ce23ce5.jpg </p>
<p>All mistakes are mine, do let me know if you find any or have any questions - the idea to this AU came very spontaneously to me and I don't know how well I explained everything since I didn't want to get lost in details. All I wanted for this was tooth-rotting fluff but well... The Doctor fought me. A lot. Fun tidbit: The working title for this fic in my files is "AAAAAANGST", which kind of speaks for itself xD Hope you enjoyed it anyway and have a nice weekend.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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